Battlefield
by EmilyEsmeGibson12
Summary: When the meeting with the Volturi leads to a fight, we witness it from the points of view of Esme and Carlisle. One-shot but it is very long! Please read and review but enjoy it as well. I hope you like it :)


**_Disclaimer: the Twilight saga and the characters belong to Stephenie Meyer_**

* * *

_Carlisle's POV_

Our hopes of a civilized meeting have shattered. My grip on my wife's hand tightened as Caius stepped forward from the line of black cloaks in front of us. He looked at us, his back facing his vampires, his red eyes bright, his skin as pale as always, his gaze burning. "Get them," His voice was clear as if he was speaking normally, but it was filled with menace and it was punctuated by eager growls and snarls from the vampires behind him. Instantly the line broke up as the guard separated themselves from the witnesses the Volturi had gathered. The guard raced downwards at us human speed, teasing us and making us wait for the battle that was about to happen.

I looked at Esme, my beautiful wife. Would this be the last time I saw her? I had to say something to her, but that seemed like I was admitting that we were going to loose each other forever, and I just couldn't admit it. Even if one of us managed to survive we would never be able to live without the other. We were like two pieces of the same puzzle; we had our differences but when we came together were one, we were meant to be together and not apart. I loved her and I needed to tell her that before it was too late.

She met my gaze, her golden eyes warm and filled with emotion. "Carlisle..." She whispered, her voice as heavy with emotion as her eyes were. I lightly brushed her cheek with my finger, forgetting for a moment about the angry horde of battle-ready fighters who were advancing.

"I know." I murmured, taking a strand of her hair that had fallen across her face and placed it behind her ear, something that I always did in a moment of silence between us. "I love you too, Esme."

She squeezed my hand. "We're going to get through this." She said determinedly. "We'll fight together and protect each other, like we always do." I knew she was remembering the newborn fight months ago, how we had worked together and survived. I nodded and leaned down to kiss her quickly but compassionately.

We broke apart when Edward crouched down by my side. "Get ready." He said. "It's coming."

I nodded and reluctantly let go of Esme's hand. I turned to face the Volturi guard as they rushed forward. The wolves who were weaved between our line of witnesses bristled at the approaching black line. Jacob Black, the leader of the pack who had been the one to decide to help us, let out a howl turned to Renesmee. Bella kissed her daughter before putting her on Jacob's back. Jacob dipped his head to us before racing away towards the forest. He was to get Renesmee to safety.

Leah, his second in command, launched herself across the snow towards the vampires. The pack were close behind them, growling and spitting.

They met with the Volturi vampires half-way across the field, near where Edward and I had tried to reason with the Volturi. They were here because Renesmee had been accused on being an immortal child, a human bitten and transformed into a vampire when they were about two years old and who had caused a lot of havoc in the past until the Volturi had whipped them out. Renesmee was not one of them. She had been conceived like any human baby and carried in her mother's belly. Bella had given birth to her when she was still human, making Renesmee half human. You just had to feel her skin to know from the warmth that blood flowed through her, you had to listen to the thudding of her heart, see the color of her cheeks. The Volturi had no patience though and now we were about to fight for our lives.

I watched as the wolves and the vampires met. The werewolves could only attack one vampire at a time, and there were loads of members to the guard and some of the witnesses, mostly the males, slipped past them and were heading towards us. Seth, Leah's brother and the friendliest in the pack towards vampires, was tearing one of the guard apart. He showed no fear in battle. The others were doing the same, attacking, defending, killing.

Then I focused on the vampires coming towards us. The front line - myself, Edward, Eleazar, Kate, Garrett, Tanya and Bella rushed forward to meet them. If we could lessen their numbers even more it would make the others safer than they would be having to fight against the whole group. Before I ran I looked at Esme and mouthed 'Don't follow, stay here' before surging forward with Edward.

I soon found myself locked in fight with Chelsea. She twisted in my arms, freeing herself from my grip and landed on the snow in a crouch. She sprang at me, pushing me backwards. I got to my feet quickly and aimed a few blows at her. She skillfully missed some but one or two sent her backwards with a gasp. She also tried to hit me round the head and in the stomach but I dodged quickly and only got one blow to the head. I wasn't aware of the things that were happening around us but I heard the vampire who was battling Kate let out a scream of pure pain. When it came to her enemies, Kate turned the electrical current that ran through her skin very, very high.

I soon was able to pin Chelsea to the floor. I wasn't a violent person, and I had never killed, nor had I want to, another being, human or vampire. I had to kill her in order to make sure my family and friends were safe. Any member of the Volturi who I fought had to die, or had to be badly wounded anyway. But it wasn't like me to kill someone, it went against everything I taught my children.

Chelsea noticed my moments and bunched me in the side, making me fall off her and onto the ground. She pinned me down and hissed in my face. "The great Carlisle Cullen!" She growled. "So nice it is to meet you. Shame that I'm about to kill you in just a second."

Then two hands were on Chelsea's neck and they twisted it around until it snapped off. Her head fell down to land in the spot beside me and I looked at it only for a second, then looked up to see who had saved my life.

"Need some help?" Esme asked as she extended her hand towards me and I clutched it with my own. She helped me up and brushed the snow off me for me.

I stopped her hand my covering it with my own. "I thought I told you to stay with the others?" I asked her, trying to sound stern, but I was so glad she hadn't listened to me.

She gave me a cheeky smile. It reminded me so much of the sixteen year old girl I had met, the younger Esme who had been spirited and happy before her abusive husband had broken her. If it wasn't for him though she wouldn't be with me, although I wish she had never had to go through such a painful life and the lose of her son and being driven to try to kill herself before we met again.

"I did, for a while. Then I saw you fighting with her," She kicked the body of Chelsea. "That I couldn't stand by and do nothing. I had to help you." She then took a lighter out of her pocket and set Chelsea's copse and head on fire so the vampire would be gone forever. "It doesn't matter that I killed someone. She was horrible, and it saved you from being killed."

We sprang about when Tanya's cry split the air. She was being pinned down by Demetri who was holding back her arms, ready to snap them off. I let out a snarl and raced towards them in vampire speed. In one second I was across the clearing. I rammed Demetri in the chest and he flew backwards, landing with a heavy thud on the ground, making the snow around him fly up into the air. The noise echoed around the whole clearing. "Thanks," Tanya said before springing at him and snapping his head off from his neck. Like what Esme had done with Chelsea, she set the remains of Demetri alight with her lighter.

Edward and Bella were crouched opposite each other, his hand covering hers. I was about to shout at them that a Volturi vampire was behind Bella when Edward suddenly picked her up and spun her around in the air. Her feet met the vampires head and smashed it into a million pieces as if it was a glass vase. I sighed with relief.

"Go help the others," Esme told me, pointing at where our friends were out numbered. Maggie and Carmen were bravely trying to take on two vampires each but it was working against them. I wanted to help them but I didn't want to leave Esme again. "Go on," She urged giving me a little shove. "I'll be fine."

"I'll watch her back Carlisle." Tanya reassured me. I swallowed and gave her a curt nod. I trusted Tanya, she was a good fight and if they got into trouble Kate would help them. I quickly raced towards Carmen, grabbing one of the vampires who were attacking her, tossing him half way across the clearing. He fell into a tree with such force the whole tree snapped in half. Eleazar appeared beside me a second later, helping Carmen up and then dealing with the vampires who were pinning Maggie down.

Although we were doing well, the number of cloaks never seemed to die down as much as I thought they would have by now. Then I understood why the Volturi had kept some of the witnesses behind. They were hitting us with fresh waves every time the old fighters grew tired or died while our side fought as one at the same time.

Then Benjamin was in the air. He crashed down and slammed his fist against the ground. There was a rumbling sound and the ground became to shake. Aro and the others who were watching from the outside of the forest backed away into the shelter of the trees. I watched as the ground began to part, separating the clearing into two. Rocks and earth flew up, constantly moving. Benjamin then lifted his hand up and pointed it towards the Volturi. The wind picked up and blew the rocks and earth in the air towards them. It stopped just before them, creating a wall between us of rocks.

"No!" Carmen gasped. "They're trapped on the other side!"

She was right. Although Benjamin's plan had worked in some ways, it also meant that our friends fighting on the other side to us were stuck between the dip in the ground and where the Volturi were waiting. Esme was on that side.

I spotted my wife fighting alongside Tanya. They looked like they were doing OK, one of them delivering blows to the vampires they were fighting while the other one stepped back. Kate was with them in an instant, lashing out at the nearest vampire and shocking him.

"They should be fine," I told Carmen. But I spoke too soon.

I watched as Esme, Tanya and Kate let out screams, their legs buckling beneath them, giving way so they fell to the floor.

Jane.

Jane had a power that everyone feared. She could make you feel as if you were in pain even though nothing had really happened to you. She had been focusing her power on Esme and anyone near her on our side knowing that I couldn't be able to control myself knowing she had hurt my wife, or, well, made my wife feel like she was being hurt. Jane wanted me to fight her so she got the chance to kill me.

"Bella!" Eleazar shouted.

Bella! What had happened to her shield? She had been to busy fighting that she had forgotten completely about Jane. She didn't have time to protect Esme and the others before they were in pain. She looked around, her eyes widening when she saw the three figures lying on the floor writhing in pain. Jane hadn't stopped using her power on them yet, and it looked like it was only getting worse.

"Carlisle, we need to find a way over to that side." Rosalie was opposite me in an instant with Emmett and Garrett, who had managed to get back on this side before the earth had split, close behind her. "Now, Carlisle!"

I nodded. "We'll have to go through the forest."

"Not all of us, they need all the help they can get, most of the wolves were on the side Esme was on." Rosalie gestured to the other side of the clearing where the wolves were fighting. I saw Seth pad over to where Esme was lying and give her a nudge. When a vampire approached the bodies of the helpless females, Seth pounced at him and ripped him apart. _Thank you, Seth._

"Carlisle and I will go," Rosalie decided. "You two stay here. We'll call you if we need your help."

Bella was watching us and gave me a curt nod. She was telling me that as soon we got over to the side she was on then she would protect us with her shield so no harm would come to us. But I wasn't worried about myself, I was worried about Esme, who was still lying in pain. Seth was guarding them and was soon joined by the wolves I knew as Brady and Quil. Sam, the former alpha male, also joined them, which was strange because Sam still didn't like vampires that much despite the allegiance he had with us now. But then again Sam would still help us.

Rosalie started running into the forest and I followed her. We weaved through the trees, their huge trunks whizzing past our vision in a second. My feet hit the grou furiously as I propelled myself forward even faster, bringing myself to run beside Rosalie. We were both the same speed when it came to running so we stayed running next to each other throughout the forest. It was hard to think that this forest had been where we had felt safe a few moments before we walked into the clearing. Now I felt like a solider running into no-mans land, threats everywhere, death always looming.

"The crack in the ground is up ahead." Rosalie shouted at me over our running. "We can jump it, it's not as wide." I nodded and we both turned to focus on the coming crack.

Rosalie kicked out with her legs, making her sail through the air and over the crack in the ground. She landed lightly on the other side and waited for me. I did what she did, taking a run up, leaping across it without looking down until I felt earth under my feet again.

Then without looking back we raced towards the place where the Volturi were waiting.

* * *

_Esme's POV_

It had all happened so quickly that I hadn't really seen it until was on the floor. One moment I was stood fighting alongside Tanya and Kate, trying to think about Carlisle who was on the other side of the clearing far away from me. Suddenly the floor had shock and the clearing split. I was then watching rocks and earth fly over our heads and land right in front of the Volturi, blocking me finally from their red eyes.

My moment of relief didn't last for as long as I had hoped.

After one minute something hit me; pain as hot as fire. Nothing compared to that feeling, not even when I had been transformed. Back then the pain had made me feel like I was being burned alive, but this was worse because it was all in my head. I wasn't actually in pain, I just thought I was, and somehow that was more terrifying.

My legs started to womble beneath me and my head flew upwards, a scream escaping my mouth. When I was had been transformed into a vampire, I had kept my screams to myself, but now I didn't go by that rule. I saw the cloud-covered sky, it was almost white, a soft grey color. Then my eyes shut without me wanting them to and I felt my legs buckle and give way. I fell to the ground onto my side, then rolled onto my back. My spine arched as I gave another loud scream.

Warm breath was on my hand and then a wet nose touched my cheek quickly. A whining sound came to my ears before it turned into a growl and which ever wolf had been beside me was then gone. I heard the sound of fighting, the wolf continuing to growl but the noise was harder to hear when the crunching and snapping noises sounded.

_Please let Carlisle be OK!_

Panic seemed to battle with the pain after I thought that. My husband, he needed to live, he had to survive this. The world needed someone like Carlisle, who was endlessly compassionate, caring, kind, friendly, all things good, dedicated to his work and his family, not selfish and loving. If I should die today, I hope he would live and move on with his life, look out for himself and our children and our granddaughter. But would that be easy for him? I knew that if he should die and I should live, I wouldn't be able to stand living without him. We were like two pieces of one heart, if half of it left the other half would struggle until it too failed. I couldn't afford to die just yet, I had to make sure Carlisle was safe.

But there was nothing to do. The only thing happening was that the pain was growing worse and worse by the second.

I thought about something else, something I knew would make me forget about the pain. I thought about Carlisle, about our first meeting, when we found each other again, when we admitted our feelings for each other, our first kiss, every touch, every conversation we had, every time I sank into his embrace and felt safe in his arms, every time we protected each other, the countless times we had told each other how much we loved each other. Then I thought about my children. They were a part of me like Carlisle was. I needed them as well, I needed each one of them to survive them, for I would grieve deeply if any one of them died. But there was nothing I could do to help them, I was lying on the floor under Jane's powers.

I could just picture the smug expression on her little face as she watched Tanya, Kate and I in pain. That made me angry, how she had won so easily.

Had she won? Who said that the others weren't doing something about it? I could hear them still fighting against the Volturi even though they knew they only had a small chance of winning. Our gifted vampires had strong powers but the Volturi had more, and theirs were more painful powers than ours. I knew that my family and friends would keep fighting till the death if they had to, because even if some managed to run, they would be hunted by the Volturi until they died one way or another.

The snow was cold under my cheek but suddenly the pain stopped. All I could feel was the ice under my skin, but it didn't make me shiver or anything, it was a relaxing coldness that I welcomed and enjoyed.

Soon I was able to move. I sat up and flexed my hands, fingers, arms, legs, feet, toes and necks. Bella was stood with me and I got to my feet quietly. "I'm sorry, Esme." Bella's voice was strained as she tried to wrap her shield around the others in the clearing.

"It's OK, Bella. It's over now, I can't feel it. Thank you." I told her, and then desperately started looking for my husband. "Where is Carlisle?" I asked Edward who was stood beside Bella.

Edward started looking around the clearing as well in search for his father. "I don't know." He then stiffened, looking at Carmen, who stared back at him with a face filled with sympathy Had Carlisle been killed? I swallowed, feeling really to cry. But Edward put his hand on my shoulder. "He isn't dead, Esme, he's alive. Carmen told me what happened. He and Rose are in the forest, trying to find a way to the rest of the Volturi. They're going to attack."

I gasped. "There's only two of them!"

"They couldn't take any more of us, because back then the others were still dealing with the Volturi vampires in the clearing. Benjamin and Emmett have gone after them now to back them up, but they don't know that. Carlisle will attack."

"We've got to help them!" I cried, grabbing his arm and clutching it tightly. "Edward, please!"

A scent drifted to my nostrils at that moment. It was a scent I hadn't smelt for a while and never thought to smell again. I looked around for the vampires I knew belonged to the scents, but I couldn't see them.

"Alice and Jasper are back," Edward said, sounding shocked. He hadn't expected his brother and sister to come home either. "They're helping Carlisle. I'll go after them and try to help, you try to get the others back onto the other side of the clearing. If the Volturi manage to get past that wall, a gap between them and the others will be good."

I shook my head. "I'm going with you!"

"Bella will be with me, I'll be fine, and so will Carlisle and Alice and the others. Esme, the others need you, they need a leader who will stick calm through this. Promise me you will help them first before doing anything else."

I sighed. "I promise."

Edward gave me a comforting smile. "Get Tanya, Kate and the others across safely, we'll join you after we've finished."

I nodded and watched as my son raced away with his mate close behind him, their hands together. I wished I had Carlisle with me to hold my hand, to stop me from trembling.

I told myself that soon I would be with him again.

* * *

_Carlisle's POV_

i was facing Aro and Caius as soon as I walked out from the shelter of the trees. Jane bristled but Aro told her to calm down before facing me. "My friend Carlisle, what a pleasure it is to get to speak to you again."

"I'm not your friend, not since you sent your guard to destroy my family and everyone I love." I snarled.

Aro sighed. "I guess I should have guessed that would have been your reaction. I am sorry Carlisle, hear the truth in my words as I say I'm sorry. But I have to do my job."

"Renesmee is not an immortal child." Hadn't we made that clear? Aro had seen with his own eyes how Bella had carried her and given birth to her, how she was half human and half vampire.

"We know that, but we had other reasons for this battle, we wouldn't cause it without a good enough reason." Aro said, his voice calm, as if there wasn't a fight going on past the wall of rocks beside him.

"What was the reason?" I demanded.

He rolled his eyes. "Carlisle, even you surely can't be happy with the alliance you have with the werewolves. They have been our enemies for decades, they would kill us all given half the chance."

"But wouldn't you do the same though?" I asked. "If you were given the opportunity to rid the world of the wolves you would take it. Besides, they aren't werewolves. They aren't like the Children of the Moon. They are more like shape-shifters, they choose when they want to change into wolves, they are civilized and listen to what we have to say. They hunt us because we hunt the people they protect. And they are good friends of ours, I am completely comfortable with our friendship with the pack and I trust them."

Caius laughed but the sound was bitter. "You'd rather stand with a bunch of over sized wolves than your fellow vampires?"

"The pack do not turn against their own kind. They do not cause fights over nothing, fights that can lead to someones death!"

"If you hadn't agreed to the alliance with the wolves we wouldn't be here right now discussing this. There would be no fight. We would have left, yo would have gone back to your normal lives." He was silent for a moment before adding, "And your mate wouldn't be in pain."

A growl rippled from my chest and Edward echoed it. Edward? I hadn't noticed he had joined us. He wouldn't the first one to take me by surprise though since we were in the forest, Alice had practically ran into me.

"You could make this so much easier for you and your family, Carlisle." Marcus said slowly in his bored voice. "You could leave and let us deal with the werewolves, or shape-shifters as you call them."

I shook my head, turning to look at the third ancient. "We came here to protect Renesmee, and now we are protecting the wolves. We wouldn't let our friends get hurt while we left."

"You've always been brave Carlisle." Aro muttered. "But bravery can lead to stupidity and death. You should think about how much you care about your family first before you say anything else."

I hissed at him. "Don't you dare make it sound like I don't care about my family!"

Caius rolled his eyes. "I always knew that family would be the death of you, Carlisle."

Jane snickered.

I launched myself at her. She had hurt my wife, she had to pay for that. With a furious hiss Jane fell backwards and then ran at me. I couldn't do anything before I was on the floor writhing in pain.

"Think about things first before you attack me again, Carlisle." Jane's voice was filled with smugness.

The sound of nearby fighting informed me that Bella had been too busy trying to protect her own life to remember to cover me with her shield before Jane could hurt me again. I wasn't mad, I knew she had cut off Jane's power from hurting Esme any longer, and I was grateful for that.

Memories washed over me suddenly. The pain reminded me of something. It reminded me of burning.

The woman's loud, ear-splitting shriek echoed through the town. Smoke rose from the crackling flames and made it hard to breathe. Laughter from my father and his parents sounded.

I shuddered and tried to push the memory to the back of my mind.

Somehow, even though the pain was still burning, I managed to open my eyes and look around at what was happening.

Aro, Caius, Marcus and the rest of the guard had their hand tied behind their back, getting held where they stood. Caius spat at Emmett.

Edward had pinned Jane to the floor and was hissing at her. I knew that Edward had always hated Jane and must be dying to kill her. But death was not the way to solve this.

"Edward," I coughed. "Don't...let her go,"

Edward's hand tightened around Jane's throat.

"Edward," I said again.

"I'll let her go once she stops hurting you." Edward growled.

Jane hissed but I felt the pain loosen until it vanished completely. I got to my feet. "Now, Edward."

Edward sighed and let go of Jane, standing up and joining me.

Aro looked confused. "You could have allowed your son to kill her, Carlisle. Why didn't you?"

I looked at Jane, who had never looked more weak. She was kneeling in the snow, panting, looking up at us. "Because violence never solves things." I repeated the sentence Esme had spoken to me before.

Aro's eyes widened, Caius looked bewildered, Marcus, as normal, just looked bored.

"You have showed our dear friend mercy." Aro dipped his head. "Now we must do the same. Alec, summon the others, we're leaving."

Alec nodded. If it had been anyone but his twin sister who had nearly lost her life, he would have argued at first, but he just disappeared over the rocky wall. A few seconds later he was back with the surviving members of the Volturi and the witnesses.

Aro looked at me as Caius and Marcus went to join the others. "Goodbye Carlisle, I hope next time we meet it won't be in a battle."

I gave a little dip of my head. "Me too, Aro. Travel safely."

"You too," Aro said before leading the Volturi away.

I watched the line of black cloaks leave the clearing and walk into the forest at the same graceful gait they had entered it in. I sighed with relief. We were safe.

* * *

Esme's POV

Everyone had been confused when the Volturi vampires we had been fighting vanished, but my confusion only lasted for a moment, because I saw my two children walking towards me. I threw my arms around them both one at a time, hugging them and never wanting to let go. They didn't have to say anything, I knew that they would be staying with us from now on and that they were sorry they left without warning.

Then I turned to see my husband walking over. I let go of my daughter and Alice took Jasper's hand and led him away.

I quickened my pace, racing towards Carlisle and throwing myself towards him. He caught me and spun me around in the air before placing me gently on my feet and kissing me, his hands on both sides of my face. He hadn't kissed me this way in a long time, urgently yet gentle, compassionate and loving. Everything was fine now.

"Esme," He whispered as our lips broke apart. He rested his forehead against mine and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Oh Carlisle," I closed my eyes. "I was so worried about you. Edward wanted me to get the others to the other side of the clearing and to stay with them to calm them and help, but I always wanted to run and find you. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. I was going crazy with worry."

"I'm alright now though, Esme. We both are." He said, running his hand through my caramel colored hair.

"Are they really gone?"

He nodded. "We showed them mercy, and they returned it."

I sighed with relief and kissed him softly again. "I love you Carlisle Cullen."

"And I love you, Esme Cullen. I always will." He said before bringing our lips together again and kissing me as if it was our first kiss.

* * *

**So what do you think? I was so pleased when I heard that there would be a fight scene in the final film because I thought that them just talking with the Volturi wouldn't be as interesting to watch. I can't wait for Breaking Dawn part 2 to come out, I'm ordering it as soon as I can and watching it straight away! I can't wait! Is anyone else excited for it? It's going to be amazing!**

**Please review this and tell me what you thought about it. Thanks. :)**


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